Eggplant Convert

I posted last week that I didn't like eggplant. And then we got one in our Farm Share basket. I left it alone for a  few days to think about what I wanted to do with it. I had been thinking about making a side dish, but I don't usually make a lot of complicated side dishes.  Most of my sides go more like: "wash fruit/veggie, slice, put on plate, serve." Then as a (sort of) joke, I decided to Google "Eggplant Frittata."  And I got a bunch of hits! So I decided to make an eggplant frittata for our Meatless Monday last night. Here's my "recipe." You need:

• medium sized eggplant
• 2-3 tomatoes
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• fresh garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder
• 8 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (optional)

Chop eggplant into 1/2 inch cubes. You can peel it or not, depending on how thick the skin it. I peeled half of it, just to see what would happen. (I couldn't tell much of a difference in the end.) Put the cubes in a colander and coat them with a handful of salt. Let them sit over the sink or a bowl for about half an hour. The salt draws the liquid out of the eggplant and apparently takes out the "bitterness." 
Meanwhile dice two tomatoes, empty and refill the dishwasher and start a load of laundry. After 30 minutes, rinse the eggplant well. Add about two tablespoons of oil to an oven proof saute pan. Cook the eggplant for about 5 minutes and the add the tomatoes and a sprinkle of garlic. Saute together until the tomatoes are falling apart and the eggplant is cooked. Meanwhile, have the hubby mix together eggs, milk and shredded cheese. Pour this mixture into your pan and let it cook until the edges are set. Then, slip it into a 350ish oven for about 20 minutes, or until it is fluffy and cooked through. Eat and enjoy!!

We really enjoyed this dish!  Benjamin even put a bite in his mouth! (He then spit it out, but hey! that's dinner time progress folks!) Henry kept asking if there were mushrooms and olives in it. I had to tell him, sadly, no; but it sounds like a really good addition and maybe I'll do that next time.

We ate this with quartered clementines, which thankfully were not full of seeds like the last bag I bought. Benjamin ate a few of those, but he didn't like the ones with no membrane around them. Not sure if that's a texture issue or what, but he is the only one of my kids who regularly asks for a "nakkum" (AKA napkin) at dinner.

These are my leftovers at lunch today. This is also why I am not a food photographer!